Daku "Ironsight" Stronbard
Daku Stronbard, later to be known as Ironsight - a name given, not chosen – born to Ragno and Ygritte Stronbard in the frigid lands of Northwestern Dun Morogh. At the age of 14 his mother was taken by a band of Frostmane Trolls just north of Kharnaros while foraging the scarce land to supplement their poor harvest. When Ygritte didn’t return, he and his father went to search for her. After several hours they successfully tracked her back to the troll camps in the far north. Daku’s father Ragno, a battle-hardened veteran of the 2nd and 3rd war – a highly skilled marksman and engineer – spotted his wife Ygritte in a cage on the outskirts of the camp only 100 yards from their position. He instructed Daku to stay behind while he attempted to free her. With a stubborn desire to help Daku convinced his father to let him provide cover in case he was spotted by the trolls. After all, his father taught him everything there was to know about ranged weapons. They routinely hunted and trained together ever since Daku was strong enough to pick up his father’s famed blunderbuss, “Ironsight” – a weapon with a reputation around these parts as well-known as the man who wielded it. Ragno started down toward the camp as Daku positioned himself upon a raised rock formation, perching his hunting rifle in a groove for stability and adjusting his sights, he watched his father make his way toward the troll encampment. After a short while Ragno made it to the cage were Ygritte was being held. He began removing the lashings trapping her inside the wooden cell when a deafening shriek filled the cool winter air. Daku knew his father was in danger. Instead of fleeing, Ragno quickly pulled a small stick of dynamite from his satchel and blasted the door off the cage freeing his beloved with great haste. He and his wife began to run for their lives as a warband of Frostmane trolls, now dialed in on their exact location by the explosion, began barreling down on them with the speed of ten dwarves. Daku knew there were too many, but he was their only chance at escape. He remembered the teachings of his father and immediately steadied his breath and tightened his grip as the trolls closed the gap between them and his fleeing parents. He opened fire and dropped the nearest trolls one by one - headshot after headshot - they fell to the earth with a loud thump, their bodies limp before smashing to the ground. While he was reloading, Daku heard a loud grunt and saw his father Ragno cry out in pain, dropping to his knees in the snow. He was struck in the back by a pursuing troll’s throwing axe. Daku, steady and focused, continued to provide cover fire for his mother Ygritte as she ran for safety, picking off any trolls who got within striking distance. Moments later, he saw his father drag himself to his feet. Ragno stuck his hand in his satchel and grabbed his remaining sticks of dynamite. He turned and yelled to Ygritte; “Keep running! Don’t look back!”, then smiled and nodded at his son Daku while he lit the remaining fuses. Just as the trolls caught up to Ragno there was a huge explosion. The shockwave threw Ygritte forward, who was several yards ahead at this point, but she luckily landed in a snow mound unharmed. Once the smoke cleared, Daku saw no sign of his father or the trolls closest to him before the explosion. He continued to cut down troll after troll until the remaining few gave up chase and retreated, disoriented from the explosion and unsure where Daku’s cover fire was coming from. His mother made it to safety. His father made his last stand. -- In the months following Ragno’s death, news of the event made its way from the forges of Anvilmar to the depths of Ironforge. Daku disliked the attention - especially after just losing his father. He understood what Ragno meant to the Dwarves in the area, having saved so many of them in battle, so he held his head high and honored him. They were both heroes for saving his mother Ygritte, and soon stories filled the taverns across Dun Morogh about the son of Ragno, who decimated an entire encampment of Frostmane without missing a shot. The townspeople of Kharnaros and the surrounding area no longer referred to the boy as Daku Stronbard. He was given the name Ironsight for the skill and bravery he displayed that day, but most importantly, in remembrance of his father. --- Following this tragic incident, Daku did what he could for his mother, but Ygritte was never the same. A few years went by before she fell gravely ill and passed away. Some believe she simply lacked the will to go on without Ragno. Daku was alone, he knew there was nothing left for him besides fading memories of what used to be. He was determined to search out his destiny. He wrapped up his father’s gun Ironsight in a ram fur blanket – the final connection to the life he once knew – and stepped from the warm hearth of his family’s cabin into the bitter cold wilderness of Dun Morogh. Something had awoken in him – a new path forward. A call to the wild. Category:Dwarf Category:Characters